"Ah," said Renan, smiling, "a religion without forms, without enthusiasms, is scarcely one to satisfy all men. It is fascinating to consider the future of Christianity. After Catholicism no other form will satisfy the Latins, and if criticism destroys Protestantism with its infallible Bible, as it is destroying Catholicism with its infallible Pope, these sophisticated nations will scarcely replace one object of worship by another. You have said that a religion needs an uncritical people, a people who do not think; so for any further development we must turn toward a less complete civilisation, to a virgin soil. Perhaps we find this in Russia. I can imagine that dreamy and unsophisticated people, who have kept unpolluted through the ages the temperament of wonder, reforming and developing the Greek Church. When their Revolution comes, whether it be gradual and humane, or a violent upheaval of disastrous passion, the Church will be metamorphosed; the stock only will remain, and new boughs will be grafted upon it. I can imagine a great growth because the field has lain fallow for so long, and the modern spirit will scarcely touch it, not only because the new Christianity will be more flexible in itself, but also because the people will have inherited our results without having endured our conflicts." The clouds in front of them suddenly trembled and parted; the figure of a man appeared. "Mocenni!" exclaimed Leo. He rose and went toward the newcomer. "Who is Pope?" he enquired. And the Cardinal Mocenni answered him in ill-humour. "Sarto." For a moment Leo stood, as if doubtful, without speaking. "Sarto," he said at last incredulously. "Sarto!" "Well, Monsieur," said Renan, "shall we not continue our discussion on the future of the Church?" But Leo had taken Mocenni's arm, and the pair walked slowly away. "Sarto! Sarto!" Renan heard Leo say again, as the clouds gathered about them; and Renan smiled. "It is clear," he said, "that Sarto is not Leo." THE END. End of Project Gutenberg's Scenes and Portraits, by Frederic Manning